Journal of my Photography Adventure

Tag: New York

Three days are barely enough to photograph in New York City. Wherever you go, there is a multitude of people and there is beautiful architecture, interior, and exterior. Unexpected, I was so drawn to the architecture, I lost my attention on the candid shots that I originally planned for the trip.

One World Trade Center was my target, but I ended being obsessed with the architecture of the transit station. The large flow of the people come out of the arrival train prompted me to photograph people, at the same time, I could not lift my eyes on the overall architecture of the interior.

Grand Central Station is another classic treasure that I love. It is one of the most monumental and magnificent buildings built in the 18th century and it’s well-maintained up to this day. The entire place is meticulously crafted with arts and details. To my surprise, the magic extends to the basement where the food court is.

On the third day of my trip, I finally experienced some sunshine. The reciprocal reflection among the buildings is quite a unique scene. It would take some time to separate these buildings from the reflection on the window facade. The streets are full of construction sites. I could not photograph the new World Trade building up close without cranes in the way, just to shot one from distance as a record. This last image shows a residential building (I believe) in Soho area. The distinctive appearance echoes the outlook of the area, aesthetic and stylish.

So much to see and so many different subjects interest me. I had a hard time deciding what to post and what not. Now I have written three blogs for it. I think it’s time for something else.

Like this:

New York is one of the ultimate destination for the tourists and photographers. I have been here numerous times, but the visit to Central Park is my first. Central Park occupies 842.60 acres, more than 5 times of Washington Park in Oregon. I entered the south entrance on 59th street and later discovered that I had to go out of the park and re-entered from 105th street entrance to access the north section of the park which ends on 110th street.

Thought to photograph some fall colors at Central Park, but prime time was over, and I don’t think the tree varieties here generate stunning colors as we have here in Northwest. For one thing, mountains are more superior than buildings as background. There are plenty of space and greens, but wherever you go, you are in the vicinity of the high-rise structures. I guess it is not so bad to enjoy building/ vegetation mixed reflection which has a character of its own.

Wheather you jog along the reservoir or ice skate at Wollman Rink, you are looking into NYC ‘mountains’. The shape and structure of the Bow Bridge are appealing. What I like the most is the walking steps wrapped under and hidden inside of the facade. In other words, you cannot see the steps from each side of the bridge. Bethesda fountain angel statue is common, but it becomes interesting when I witnessed the flock of pigeons landing and forming that familiar sculpture…

You may have seen the giant bubbles at an amusement park or on a busy beach. I was amazed how the bubbles were formed and checked online. There are ‘recipes’ to make large bubbles, really. It is only in Central Park where I expected to see several groups of photographers filming broadcasting subjects.

Architecture in NYC is what interests me the most among the abundant resource of everything, vintage and contemporary. In Europe, we see classics, and here we get to appreciate both. The skyscrapers erect high in the sky and split the blue sky into chunks and strips. They are like a herd of horses sticking their heads up and racing to take up the sky. I meant to take more people pictures, but I could not resist the grandeur above.

Not only during the day, the night sky is also as charming as the day. When I looked into the night sky at home, I was aiming at stars. However, at this moment of time in New York City, I forgot about stars… I only saw the smogged cloud on the dark canvas and the mystical peace of the night.

Before this trip, I purposely avoided viewing other people’s pictures. Many excellent works of iconic landmarks are existing and very accessible online. I feel that I don’t need to jam in thinking that I can do better with these iconic shots. I cannot, particularly in a short stay roaming around town without a tripod.

With street photography in mind, I went to New York and walked around Manhattan for three full days. Though I have been there more than 20 times in the past, I have never taken a close look at the city until this trip.

I made myself a goal to ask 10 people to take their pictures, as you may know, I like candid shots including wedding and family portrait pictures. However, end of the trip, I did not ask anyone. The city is in her dynamic mold, lively, converting and vibrant. It is like a revolving door moving with the constant flow of people including myself, I snapped as I walked by. I did not either previsualize my shots nor did I try to compose before I shoot.

People are inside and out of the building and coming to and from multiple directions. City life does not seem to begin before it gets dark.

New York is made out of high-rise buildings. A few parks here and there are barely adequate for the vast amount of city residents to hang out and enjoy a slice of greens. I imagined that the gyms are packed with working people to get their fast work-out.

Morning jogging in Central Park is a treat. At Northwest, our parks are surrounded by the mountains, and here, New Yorkers have the mountains of their own, the countless skyscrapers and tightly adjacent buildings.

I like nature and its quietness, I also like the action and speed in the big city. I feel energized when I move fast and see things in action.

On this note, I appreciate the life in the big city like NYC. These people were lined up in front of the building, apparently waiting to get in. Time is an asset in city life and there were certainly no idlers.

It seems to be dangerous enough to be on the skateboard rolling down the sidewalk. I was ready to cross the street and suddenly felt the need to dodge the skater who sneaked into the scene without me noticing it beforehand. And, the black limo was pulling into the pedestrian zone at the same time… Glad that all went well and there was no honking or yelling.

I watched the couple strolling with their eyes closed. Holding the hands, they seemed so calm and relaxing, not being distracted by the noise and traffic at all.

Not intentionally, I discovered that I took many pictures showing the fashion and style in the streets. People are conscious of their outlook. Lots of suits for working men, coats and boots for ladies.

It was a windy day. In front of Tiffany, I saw this lady repeatedly trying to cover her legs while walking and talking on the phone…

People walked their dogs (I saw minimum two) in the busy streets. This man has had his dogs trained and was able to handle their street crossing in a very organized manner. He is apparently the owner. I heard that the students walk other people’s dogs to make some small money.

Just to grab a few shots from the streets to show you what I saw. I will be sharing more pictures in the next couple posts.